Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Boyhan is missing the point. I have come to the House as the Minister. I have answered the questions and given my justification. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, gave the justification on Second Stage and Committee Stage in the House because I was physically not able to attend. My difficulty is that I have set out logically the reason this does not make sense. There is not market failure. I have had this argument with Deputy Ryan, who drafted and tabled the amendments in the Dáil. He understood the point I was making and withdrew the amendments on that basis. The difficulty is that the Senator is saying he has been given an instruction to press these amendments without hearing the argument I have made. No one has given me a reason for the market failure in the parcel service. Senator Boyhan has not given me an example of the market failure and yet he is pressing the amendment that has serious financial implications for the company. If the Senator wants to press the amendment, he should show me the justification for pressing it. He should not come to the House and ask me to respond, which I am quite willing to do, but not listen to my response. I have responded to any question that has been asked by colleagues here. I could stay here all evening answering questions that people want to ask about this. I have no difficulty with that, but there is not much point, with due respect, in me, as Minister, coming in here answering questions and for the Senator to ignore the answers I have given because he is under instruction to press the amendment. That is the point I am making.